West Ham United seemed to be getting back on track as they picked up seven points against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Everton. However, all the positivity that built up after those impressive performances came down again as Brighton inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Manuel Pellegrini’s men before the international break. Next, they will take on their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at home, and the Chilean manager would hope that they can find their best form against Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are coming on the back of three consecutive wins in the league, but the team’s performance has been nowhere near the best. Nevertheless, they still sit just two points from the table toppers so they would look to put in more pressure by continuing their winning run.
Team News
Winston Reid, Andy Carroll, and Manuel Lanzini are long-term absentees. Carlos Sanchez is also going to join the trio now as he is ruled out for a considerable time. Jack Wilshere is also unavailable as he went through a minor ankle surgery. Robert Snodgrass withdrew his name for Scotland during the international break, but he is expected to be ready for the weekend clash. Javier Hernandez has also recovered from a virus and should be back in contention for Saturday.
West Ham United’s Predicted Lineup vs Tottenham Hotspur
Formation (4-1-4-1)
Defence
Lukasz Fabianski has been brilliant in between the sticks, and he should expect a busy game against Harry Kane and Co. The defensive pair of Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop have done wonders in the last few games and Pellegrini has identified his best defenders after trying various partnerships at the start of the season. Arthur Masuaku had some ankle issue but he should be fit for this tie and would start in the left back role. Pablo Zabaleta will start as a right back, and he is still showing that he can handle himself in the Premier League even at the age of 33.
Midfield
Declan Rice has picked his game up, and as a result, the East London outfit’s midfield looks much more solid when they don’t have the ball. He is expected to have a tough game as Lucas Moura and Son Heung Min would keep him busy. In a more advanced role, Mark Noble will partner up with Pedro Obiang in midfield. Noble has done well while going forward though sometimes he is found out while tracking back.
In the wide region, Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson would provide the ‘x’ factor. Both of them have shown glimpses of what they are capable of, but one thinks that they can go up a gear further. The Hammers will look to hit with pace with these two wide men on the counter.
Attack
Javier Hernandez is finally available, but Marko Arnautovic is a nailed on starter up front to lead the line for Pellegrini.
